Something that really irks me...

Jack_

When people proclaim the item they're selling to be a bargain, when it is in fact far from being a bargain.

"Bought this new for £500 a few months ago, selling for £480, grab yourself a bargain"

In fact, a lot of the things people say when they're trying to sell things annoys me, especially the obligatory "this Chinese made Squier Strat plays better than my Custom Shop Masterbuilt, but I'm selling it because I'm a compulsive liar".

Brize

Yep, the 'save yourself £50 off the new price' patter is hopelessly naive.

Garthy

Same as the car buying world -"appreciating classic, it will earn you money!" Ok, so why are you selling a gold egg laying goose, and do the maintenance costs suddenly evaporate? 

Octafish

It is funny when sellers think that because it's only 2 months old and in mint condition they can get near new money for it. It's 2nd hand, therefore it's only worth 2nd hand money. I'd rather pay the little bit extra and really buy it new or accept a bit of wear and get a proper 2nd hand price.

impmann

Jack_ said:

In fact, a lot of the things people say when they're trying to sell things annoys me, especially the obligatory "this Chinese made Squier Strat plays better than my Custom Shop Masterbuilt, but I'm selling it because I'm a compulsive liar".

Hmmm... well, I kept a Jap Squier and sold a US Fender last year because the Jap guitar ate the US one for breakfast.

When the guy came to pick it up, he challenged me about this making a similar comment. So seeing as cash had changed hands, I got the Jap guitar out. He had to concede that if shoe was on the other foot, he'd do the same. Thats not to say it was a bad US guitar - its just that old Jap Squier is *BLOODY* good. So sometimes, its not so clear cut...

Frankly, the only thing that irks me are rude people when selling. I refused to accept a daft offer on something (not on here, I hasten) - the guy kept pestering, offering trades that I wasn't interested in. I then sold the item elsewhere, so said "sorry mate, its just sold elsewhere. Thanks for the interest". I got a one word reply "wanker". 

earwighoney

Jack_ said:

When people proclaim the item they're selling to be a bargain, when it is in fact far from being a bargain.

"Bought this new for £500 a few months ago, selling for £480, grab yourself a bargain"

In fact, a lot of the things people say when they're trying to sell things annoys me, especially the obligatory "this Chinese made Squier Strat plays better than my Custom Shop Masterbuilt, but I'm selling it because I'm a compulsive liar".

What's even worse is when someone puts up a guitar for sale at a greater price than when it was brand new. 

There's one in the classifieds here. 

HAL9000

Jack_ said:

When people proclaim the item they're selling to be a bargain, when it is in fact far from being a bargain.

Attributes are often used in descriptions of things that don't actually have that attribute. Such as...

Bargain price
Thrifty Car Rental
The Chuckle Brothers
Democratic Republic of Congo

Jack_

impmann said:

Jack_ said:

In fact, a lot of the things people say when they're trying to sell things annoys me, especially the obligatory "this Chinese made Squier Strat plays better than my Custom Shop Masterbuilt, but I'm selling it because I'm a compulsive liar".

Hmmm... well, I kept a Jap Squier and sold a US Fender last year because the Jap guitar ate the US one for breakfast.

When the guy came to pick it up, he challenged me about this making a similar comment. So seeing as cash had changed hands, I got the Jap guitar out. He had to concede that if shoe was on the other foot, he'd do the same. Thats not to say it was a bad US guitar - its just that old Jap Squier is *BLOODY* good. So sometimes, its not so clear cut...

Frankly, the only thing that irks me are rude people when selling. I refused to accept a daft offer on something (not on here, I hasten) - the guy kept pestering, offering trades that I wasn't interested in. I then sold the item elsewhere, so said "sorry mate, its just sold elsewhere. Thanks for the interest". I got a one word reply "wanker". 

But you're using two different brackets there to the ones in my example...

Everyone knows the Jap Squier's are very good guitars, that's why they're starting to sell for (frankly) ridiculous money, and US Fender's are not as good as CS, so the two 'brackets' you're using are nearer together.

Although I understand your point, my comment was sort of in jest, but also sort of in truth, because I do see phrases of similar ilk used a lot.

This brings me on to another selling thing conveniently, following on from the Jap Squier's; when everyone starts to think just because their guitar was made in the same country as the ones selling for higher money, that means theirs is worth more - the amount of Squier's I see now listed at stupid prices because they were made in Korea for example... Just because Squier made some good Korean guitars doesn't now mean they're all worth more than they were when new...

wellsyboy

earwighoney said:

Jack_ said:

When people proclaim the item they're selling to be a bargain, when it is in fact far from being a bargain.

"Bought this new for £500 a few months ago, selling for £480, grab yourself a bargain"

In fact, a lot of the things people say when they're trying to sell things annoys me, especially the obligatory "this Chinese made Squier Strat plays better than my Custom Shop Masterbuilt, but I'm selling it because I'm a compulsive liar".

What's even worse is when someone puts up a guitar for sale at a greater price than when it was brand new. 

There's one in the classifieds here. 

What you mean like an original 1959 Les Paul Standard?

p90fool

impmann said:

Frankly, the only thing that irks me are rude people when selling. I refused to accept a daft offer on something (not on here, I hasten) - the guy kept pestering, offering trades that I wasn't interested in. I then sold the item elsewhere, so said "sorry mate, its just sold elsewhere. Thanks for the interest". I got a one word reply "wanker". 

I had a guy offer me 300 quid for a JTM45 head, telling me I'd never get any more than that for it.

It hit £675 on eBay while he was actually in my living room trying it out, you can imagine his face when I showed him my phone...

Octafish

Jack_ said:

This brings me on to another selling thing conveniently, following on from the Jap Squier's; when everyone starts to think just because their guitar was made in the same country as the ones selling for higher money, that means theirs is worth more - the amount of Squier's I see now listed at stupid prices because they were made in Korea for example... Just because Squier made some good Korean guitars doesn't now mean they're all worth more than they were when new...

Happens a lot with Japanese Squiers/Fenders. Some of it must be ignorance, like the endless stream of people who think that a Silver Series Squier is any Squier with the Squier logo in silver or those who assume that all Japanese Fenders are built to the same spec/worth top money and that it can't possibly be that Fender Japan has a range of guitars with different spec woods/pickups/hardware etc.

proggy

What really gets my back up is when someone writes "First to see will buy" at the end of an add.

How can they be sure of that?

Jack_

proggy said:

What really gets my back up is when someone writes "First to see will buy" at the end of an add.

How can they be sure of that?

I think it's a poor way of saying, I'm not going to put it by for someone, the first person to come and view it who wants it, gets it. At least that's the origin, but it's now come to mean the way you imply for some...

UnclePsychosis

Octafish said:

It is funny when sellers think that because it's only 2 months old and in mint condition they can get near new money for it. It's 2nd hand, therefore it's only worth 2nd hand money. I'd rather pay the little bit extra and really buy it new or accept a bit of wear and get a proper 2nd hand price.

Absolute bare minimum I want 20% knocked off for a second hand item - VAT doesn't apply to second hand goods, thankyouverymuch. 

Octafish

proggy said:

What really gets my back up is when someone writes "First to see will buy" at the end of an add.

How can they be sure of that?

Reminds me of a spoof 2nd hand car ad on the Sniff Petrol website that said "First to buy will see".

Voxman

Buyers want a bargain, sellers want as much as they can get for it.  But something is only worth what someone's willing to pay for it.  It's a simple fact of life that some simple folk struggle to get their heads around.  

Exorcist

I think some people do a quick search on ebay and see other people asking way over the odds for the same thing, rather than looking at items that actually sold. Then they just perpetuate the stupid value... and wonder why it doesn't sell. 

Octafish

Voxman said:

Buyers want a bargain, sellers want as much as they can get for it.  But something is only worth what someone's willing to pay for it.  It's a simple fact of life that some simple folk struggle to get their heads around. 

Very much so. I usually work to the rule that most guitar shops seem to (and to be fair a lot on ebay and in the classidieds here) - 2nd hand value is around two thirds of new price and less if the item is a bit rough or not that in demand.

It can work both ways though. I saw a commonly available pedal recently go for about £130 on here when it could be had new £140

impmann

Exorcist said:

I think some people do a quick search on ebay and see other people asking way over the odds for the same thing, rather than looking at items that actually sold. Then they just perpetuate the stupid value... and wonder why it doesn't sell. 

THIS

There are plenty of chancers out there. Just because something is advertised for sale at price "x" doesn't mean your similar thing is worth the same (or more), or that it will ever sell for that much.

Bridgehouse

Reverbs sold price history is a good guide, as are eBay sold listings (not completed listings)

martinw

This thread again?